NEO Instruments Ventilator II

NEO Instruments Ventilator II is a rotary speaker simulator that reproduces the behaviour of a Leslie 122 cabinet. Bass and treble rotors are modelled independently, with adjustable rotation speed and acceleration, and the crossover sits at 800 Hz exactly as in the original. Added to that is a simulation of the cabinet's speaker response, a Drive section reproducing the saturation of the Leslie tube amplifier, and variable virtual microphone distance. Processing runs on a 32-bit SHARC processor with 24-bit, 48 kHz conversion.

A Leslie without the cabinet, the microphones or the room

A real 122 needs transport, mechanical maintenance, two or three microphones and a room where you can set them up. The Ventilator II weighs 1.1 kg and delivers a finished line-level signal at +6 dBV from a 100 Ohm output, so it goes straight into an interface or a desk. Its 1 MOhm input impedance takes a guitar directly without a buffer, and a Hi/Lo sensitivity switch matches the unit to pickups and to keyboard line outputs alike. The speaker simulation switches off when the signal is heading into a guitar amplifier that already has a response of its own.

One unit for guitar and for organ

The Git1, Git2 and Key modes set the unit up per instrument, and the stereo input serves keyboards with stereo outputs. The second generation adds separate Slow and Fast speed controls, so both settings are chosen independently, from two extremes to two closely spaced values when the change needs to stay subtle. Separate Mix and Distance controls for the bass and treble rotors let you set the depth of the effect differently at the bottom and top of the range. Silent footswitches handle relay true bypass, Slow/Fast selection and stopping the rotors, while the Remote input accepts a halfmoon switch or an expression pedal for speed or mix control.

KEY FEATURES

• Reproduction of the Leslie 122 cabinet's rotary effect
• Independent simulation of the bass and treble rotors
• Adjustable rotation speed and acceleration
• 800 Hz crossover as in the original
• Speaker response simulation that can be switched off
• Drive section reproducing Leslie tube amplifier saturation
• Variable virtual microphone distance, set separately per rotor
• Separate Slow and Fast speed controls
• Git1, Git2 and Key modes, stereo input
• Silent footswitches, relay true bypass, Remote input

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Signal processing: 32-bit SHARC DSP
• Analogue to digital and digital to analogue conversion: 24 bit, 48 kHz
• Noise level: -80 dBA
• Input sensitivity: -10 dBV (Hi), 0 dBV (Lo)
• Input impedance: 1 MOhm
• Output level: +6 dBV
• Output impedance: 100 Ohms
• Recommended load impedance: 10 kOhms or more
• Connectors: Input L, Input R/Mono, Output L, Output R/Mono, Remote input
• Mains: 100-240 V, 47-63 Hz, current draw below 300 mA
• Dimensions: 160 x 143 x 55 mm, steel housing with recessed knobs
• Weight: 1.1 kg without power supply